MALTA

Here are pictures of myself with Archbishop Michael Gunzi and the statute of St. Paul on the Island of Malta, taken December 1973.

By the grace of God and the invitation of David Wulff (Chaplin to Norwegian sailors), I was privileged to preach the gospel to Roman Catholic Archbishop Monsignor Michael Gunzi  and changed that country's 1000 year old law that prohibited anyone who was not an ordained Roman Catholic clergyman from preaching to the Maltese people.

As a direct response of our meeting with the Archbishop and the Chief of Police Enoch Tonna, the doors were opened for me to preach at the Roman Catholic Seminary and publicly for the FIRST TIME SINCE ST. PAUL and the early church, at a large auditorium.

Since that time, about 10 churches have been established in Malta, and unfortunately even a Muslim Mosque and some other cults!  But, praise God that the gospel is now preached freely in Malta, due to our 1973 breakthrough!

Rev. Max Solbrekken with
 Archbishop Michael Gunzies, Dec 1973, Malta

Rev. Max Solbrekken with
 statue of St. Paul,  December 1973, Malta

 Rev. David Wulff 

     Chaplain to Norwegian sailors, Valetta, Malta wrote in 1974.

“Never in the history of Malta has so great a spiritual victory been won, as during Brother Solbrekken’s crusade here.  The devil launched all his forces to prevent God’s Kingdom from marching forward, but in the name of Jesus, his power was broken and he had to back off.  

"The first Full Gospel crusade since the days of St. Paul became a reality and a glorious victory for the persecuted Evangelicals.  Souls were saved and miracles of divine healing took place as Rev. Max Solbrekken brought forth the message of the Gospel under God’s anointing and as he reached out to the Lord for the needs of the people in compassion and prayer.

“For hundreds of years Malta has been bound by a primitive form of Roman Catholicism mixed with mysticism and superstition.  They have been told repeatedly that all non-Catholics were trying to lead them astray and wanted only to split and confuse the Roman Catholic Church.  Little did they know that our main intentions were to bring them back to First Century Christianity, to signs, wonders and miracles with simple faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

 “A NEW ERA HAS NOW STARTED IN MALTA  as God is beginning to show the people that He is the same today as when Paul first came to this island.  Miracles began happening right from the very beginning, even before the crusade started.  Every time the devil attacked, he was overcome by the mighty hand of God.  

When the Police Department withheld permission to hold the crusade, till the last moment, God opened the way for Brother Solbrekken to meet the Senior Superintendent of Police personally and God’s servant won favour with him.  Superintendent E. Tonna asked for Rev. Solbrekken’s prayers and he also promised all possible help in the future.  Since the crusade, Mr. Tonna has been elevated to the most respected position of Commissioner of Police, the highest position in the Malta Police Force.

“When we tried to advertise the crusade in the leading newspapers, we were denied that right, and one paper attacked us in no uncertain terms.  But, God prompted a Maltese journalist to publicly defend us, and this was the first time that Full Gospel Evangelicals received public support in the newspapers.  Since the crusade, our weekly church services have been advertised with no charge in the church columns of a paper who denied us advertising space for the crusade.  

The Roman Catholic priests warned against the crusade from the pulpits.  ROMAN CATHOLIC PROFESSORS arranged a “Bible Week” on the television each evening of the crusade to prevent people from coming.

 “The situation seemed hopeless, but God sent His servant Max Solbrekken to the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, His Grace, Monsignor Michael Gonzi, for a personal audience, which resulted in His Grace, “The Archbishop” wishing Rev. Solbrekken all the best of success for his mission of preaching Jesus Christ to Malta.  

Later a prominent priest, after meeting us on a busy market street, asked Brother Solbrekken for his prayers, saying ‘I FEEL SICK IN BOTH BODY AND SOUL’, and God’s servant laid his hands on him and prayed right there in the city square!  One of the professors who had organized their own “Bible Week” in opposition to us, later received Brother Solbrekken and myself in his office at the University of Malta where we had a great time of fellowship.  God’s servant was invited into a class and asked to pray for the students.  

Now doors are wide open in Malta for a massive crusade.  This is the time for persistent penetration of this island with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.”

WEST INDIES

1974 - Rev. Allister Alexander  Morvant, Trinidad

“It’s certainly not difficult for me to recommend Canada’s Internationally Known Evangelist Rev. Max Solbrekken.  It didn’t take us long to realize that he was a man of God, after first meeting him in 1968.  

IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO FORGET THE OUTSTANDING CRUSADE WHICH HE CONDUCTED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD IN MORVANT, AND THE THOUSANDS THAT WERE BLESSED, SAVED & HEALED IN THAT MEETING.   

Not only does the evangelist Max Solbrekken preach the pure and true gospel of Jesus Christ, but he also lives it.  I know he is a man of prayer.  I am fully convinced that Rev. Max Solbrekken is an evangelist of the highest caliber, in preaching, prayer and dedicated living.  I highly recommend him.”

1969 - Rev. W. P. Ryan                                                           General Superintendent PAWI - Port of Spain, Trinidad

“The evangelistic crusade held in Woodford Square, Port of Spain, Trinidad by Max Solbrekken and party will go down in history as ONE OF THE GREATEST CRUSADES EVER TO BE HELD IN THAT VENUE, and scores will remember these meetings long after they have become history, because of having found Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord.  Woodford Square, situated in the very heart of the nation’s capital, Port of Spain, is called the ‘Hyde Park’ of Trinidad.

“For the 15 nights of the crusade we were thrilled by the response of those whose hearts the Holy Spirit had touched, and the earnestness on the faces of many whom we are assured will never again return to a life of sin.  One of the special characteristics of  Brother Solbrekken’s preaching is that he makes it very hard for those who want to respond to the Gospel.  

He is not afraid to denounce sin of all descriptions in the lives of individuals, so that those who come forward know why they are coming.  We do appreciate, and thank God for men, in these times, who in spite of the present trend to depart from the Word, will fearlessly call sin, sin...regardless of the consequences.  We want to thank Max Solbrekken and his party for the help that they have been to the work while they were here.”

1968 - Rev. Joseph Desreireres    Port au Prince, Haiti (French interpreter for Guadeloupe Crusade)

“We began with less than thirty people.  A number of skeptics and hecklers and antagonistic preachers standing on the sidelines, but God’s Word is not bound and His hand is not shortened, and where there is faith there will be miracles.  

A little five year old boy who had been dumb since birth was instantly healed and the news went far and wide; a woman who had been totally deaf in both ears for seven years could hear a whisper and wept unashamedly as she gave her testimony; cripples began rising from their chairs and began walking, and miracle revival had come to Guadeloupe.  

Hundreds and hundreds responded to the invitation to accept Christ, scores were healed miraculously by God’s power, and the skeptic’s mouths were closed as the large auditorium was packed to capacity with a multitude of people on the inside and outside.  

I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING FOR THE FULL GOSPEL MESSAGE AND WORK IN GUADELOUPE AS THE REVIVAL GOES FORWARD.

“Brother Solbrekken is indeed  a man of God and spoke with great power under the anointing of the Holy Ghost as he declared the whole counsel of God.  I have counted it a great privilege to work with him and stand by his side night after night.”

1969 - Rev. Marcus Roberts    Trinidad Evangelistic Centre - Port of Spain, Trinidad

“The Max Solbrekken Crusade held at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, is one that we will long remember.  The preaching of Brother Solbrekken reminded us of the preaching of John the Baptist.  The truth was preached without fear or favor.  The rich anointing of the Spirit was evident throughout and Jesus Christ was indeed magnified.  We can still hear singing in our ears and the praises of the Lord, as the evangelist got the large crowds to praise the Lord in every service.  It was marvellous to see and hear people from the formal churches praising the Lord with all their hearts, with upraised hands.

 “THE CRUSADE WAS INDEED A VISITATION FROM GOD!  Over a thousand persons responded to the invitation, and the power of God was present to heal in every service.  The blind saw, the lame walked and the deaf heard.  Praise the Lord!  

"Many wonderful testimonies of healing have been reported.  Twenty five persons have been added to our Assembly, the Trinidad Evangelistic Centre, since the crusade, and as we contact folks in our follow-up program we believe there will be more who will be added to the church.

“May God continue to use Brother Solbrekken in a great way.  There is a great welcome awaiting him in Port of Spain any time he can return.”

1968 - Rev. Peter Lee                                                                Pentecostal Church - St. Johns , Antigua , West Indies

“It was with great expectancy in our hearts that we awaited the arrival of Missionary Evangelist Max Solbrekken in Antigua for a great open-air crusade.

 “We are glad to report that on the last night we had a crowd of about 6,000.  Each night Evangelist Max Solbrekken, who is as bold as a lion for Jesus, and who prefers to please God than to obtain the applause of men, preached the Word without fear or favour, and in so doing he dug up and exposed sin of all description in its ugliness, dazzling deception and destruction power.  

HOWEVER, THE MAIN THEME OF THE CRUSADE WAS HIS EXALTATION OF JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD.

“Each night it was our privilege to see scores of people respond to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  Not only was God in the crusade in mighty saving power, but also in mighty healing power.  

"Here are a few of the healings and miracles which were done:  Folks with defective sight were made to see plainly and did not need their glasses anymore; a child deaf from birth was healed instantly; many deaf in one ear were made to hear; the paralytic healed many suffering from rheumatism and arthritis received miracles, and many others with internal sicknesses were instantly healed and delivered.  Praise the Lord!

“I remember so vividly on the last night of the crusade, a couple who came from Guadeloupe, a French speaking island nearby, just to be in Antigua for the crusade, were instantaneously healed.  THE HUSBAND HAD A PARALYZED ARM AND HE WAS HEALED.  I can see him now in my mind’s eye raising that hand up and down, and the wife who came to the crusade roasting with fever, had the fever leave immediately.  The amazing thing about it all is that neither of them spoke English.  Praise the Lord!”

1968 - Rev. Leroy Lebeck      PAOC Missionary - Trinidad , West Indies

“Approximately 2,000 persons answered the altar calls for salvation given by EVANGELIST MAX SOLBREKKEN AS HE PREACHED A CHRIST-CENTERED, CHRIST-EXALTING MESSAGE, EXPOSING SIN AND CALLING FOR TRUE REPENTANCE.  

"The presence of God was very real throughout the entire crusade and many were healed by miracles of God, some of which were occupied on the front page of the local paper.

 “Brother Dave Minor ministered to the converts each morning at 10:00 AM , and even in these services people were healed and filled with the Holy Ghost.  Truly this was God’s visitation to Trinidad .”

1972 - Rev. Nick Gruick                                                        Missionary - Port au Prince, Haiti

“We all in Haiti are so very thankful that the Lord sent you and your team our way.  Your 5 days and nights, Salvation and Healing Crusade, was the best we have had here.  There were more results in your meetings than in any others.

“We can see the miracle working hand of the Lord in everything.  The government of Haiti giving us their best facility on the island for the crusade, was a miracle.  The football stadium seating 50,000 people became our spiritual battleground.  Here is where we saw the powers of hell defeated night after night .  

"THE FORCES OF VOODOOISM, SUPERSTITION, SIN AND SICKNESS RECEIVED A DEATH DEALING BLOW!